Of the 21 types of sport that will be offered at this year’s 2012 Summer Paralympic Games, Archery is among the best-loved. To be held at the Royal Artillery Barracks between August 30th and September 5th, 2012‘s Paralympic Archery competition will require “skill, concentration, and nerves of steel.”
Who will be competing in this year’s Archery competition?
At the 2012 Summer Paralympic Archery competition, 140 athletes will compete. Of those athletes, 52 will be women and 88 will be men. There is a maximum of three contestants per country in all individual events. When it comes to team events, each country may be represented by a group of three competitors.
Archery has a long and beautiful tradition in the Paralympics.
Did you know that Archery was one of the sports that took place at the very first Paralympic Games in 1960? Also, Archery was a sport at the 1948 Stoke Mandeville Games (“the modern Paralympic Games predecessor”). The Archery competition is sure to bring the same sense of tradition to the 2012 Summer Paralympic Games.
Techniques for Archers with disabilities.
In the Paralympic Archery competition, only archers with certain types of disabilities will be competing. For those who use a wheelchair, the specific tactic they will use will be to “position themselves at a 90-degree angle and remove the front armrest to increase the draw on the bowstring.” Body support will be provided for individuals who have disabilities that affect balance. And for athletes whose disabilities affect their hands and/or fingers, a “mechanical release aid” will be provided.
To watch a quick video about Archery from the 2008 Beijing Games, visit http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/paralympic-sport/8711125/London-2012-Paralympics-Archery-guide.html and scroll down the page until you see the “play” button on the video box.
Who is the most memorable Paralympic Archer?
Have you heard of Paola Fantato? She is an Italian athlete who has earned five gold medals for Paralympic Archery, not to mention two bronze and one silver medal. Fantato has been a competitor in five Paralympic Games. She also competed in the Olympics in 1996.
Archery definitely represents strength, determination, and everything the Paralympics stands for. Don’t miss this year’s Summer Paralympic Games Archery competition; visit http://www.london2012.com/paralympics/ to stay updated.
Read more about Paralympic Archery at http://www.london2012.com/paralympics/archery/about/.
Sources:
http://www.london2012.com/paralympics/archery/
http://www.london2012.com/paralympics/archery/about/
Image made available by ProAdventure on Flickr through Creative Commons License.
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Let’s Talk About It
Is Archery your favorite Paralympic sport? Why?
What other Paralympic sports do you enjoy watching?
